My letter “X” pick for the A to Z Reading Challenge was XTREME BEHAVIOR by Em Petrov. My first thought when I started this book was “Ooops – looks like it’s book three of a twelve book series.” My second thought was “Hallelujah! I have letter “X” books to review for the next decade!” You have no idea how hard it is to find titles that begin with X.

Anyway – yes, it’s book three of the XTREME OPS series, but it easily reads as a stand-alone. Who doesn’t love an alpha-male hero special ops guy? Alix fits the trope perfectly. He’s trying to track down a serial bomber before they kill again, and enlists the help of a gorgeous pain-in-the-ass K-9 handler named Vivian and her furry partner, Zack. Alix and Vivian have worked together before, and she has the unique ability to get on his last nerve, under his skin, and affects other body parts that leave him grinding his teeth. Vivian handles him like a pro, and when sparks start flying the spice starts building and whoa! So very steamy, hot, and surprisingly heartfelt. Petrov also throws in plenty of awkward “almost” encounters and humorous nuggets here and there to build and relieve tension. The story had a very thrilling and satisfying conclusion all around.

My only beef with the story is that it took a bit too long to get to the “I love you” admissions, and when Alix finally gets there, Vivian freaks even though it’s clear she’s crazy about him. It felt a little forced just to extend the love arc. Other than that, this was a great story and now I have to keep myself from reading the rest of the series and wrecking my future reading lists! Four and one-half stars for this one.